Essay example --

Although traditionally applied to business ethics, the honourable decision-making process is of vital immensity in law enforcement as well. Research recognizes several ethical decision-making models and factors believed to influence the process of decision-making. A history of ethical decision-making, including various theories, models and influential factors demonstrates the importance of the ethical decision-making process and how it can be applied to law enforcement. HISTORY OF ETHICAL DECISION-MAKINGDecision-making has historical roots in philosophy, which generated two primary proportions one of logic and discernment and one of ethics and moral imagination. Philosophers set out primarily viewed these dimensions from a normative standpoint, providing arguments for each one to demonstrate how individuals think and decide. Since the evolution of normative theories of logic, which are broadly speaking based on probability or utility, much work has been consecrate towards the ir expansion into descriptive models of actual reasoning processes. The ethics and moral judgment dimension remains largely normative, despite the fact that moral thinking is regarded as an important element in the decision-making process as a whole (Strong & Meyer, 1992).prescriptive theories of ethics do not have much descriptive strength, so they have been modified in an effort to explain differences in moral judgment. Researchers have since moved from examining the outcomes of decisions towards exploring different processes individuals use when making decisions among various possible outcomes (Strong & Meyer, 1992).Ethical Decision-Making ModelsIn an attempt to expand normative theories, Kohlbergs model of moral judgment proposes that individuals cognitively progress through... ... rarely under direct supervisory control and are permitted to exercise enormous amounts of discretion (Ortmeier & Meese, 2010). Therefore, ethical decision-making is extremely vital at bottom law enf orcement. Moreover, previously discussed ethical decision-making processes and influential factors apply to police officers just as they do to other organizational employees. ConclusionRespected scholars have dedicated vast amounts of research towards developing ethical decision-making models and outlining factors believed to influence the process of decision-making. An overview of various ethical decision-making models and influential factors demonstrates the importance of the ethical decision-making process. Furthermore, various models and techniques traditionally used in business ethics can also be applied to policing, positively impacting law enforcement as a whole.